Spark-timing device for ignition systems.



No. 847,876. PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907.

v. G. APPLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1903.

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ilfgizgalj 2; r /i g 9%55 M IA/arm TIL/we my I No. 847,876. PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907.

' V. G. APPLE. SPARK TIMING DEVICE FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED nov. 9, 1903.

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VINCENT G. APPLE, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SPARK-TINHNG DEVICE FUR EGNITEQN SYSTEMS.

Specifi tion of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed. November 9, 1903. Serial No. 180,466.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VINCENT G. APPLE, of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Timing Devices for Ignition Systems; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which 1 form part of this specification.

My invention relates to spark-timing de vices for ignition systems designed to be employed in conjunction with variable-speed gas-engines to automatically regulate the lead of the spark consistently with the speed of the engine.

One of the ob ects of my invention 1s to provide 111 such a timing device ad usting means for changing the speed. rate at which will be commenced and to the automatic regulation of the spark-lead so arrange said adusting means that they may be conveniently actuated while the timing device is in operation. 1

. A further object of my invention is to provide manually-operable means for controlling the spark-lead independently of the automatic devices for the same purpose.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of the timing device whereby the entire exterior of the casing containing the mechanism is thoroughly insulated from the electrical conductors embodied in the device to obviate the possibility of the user of the device receiving shocks in the'handling thereof.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide an improved means for adjusting the position of the rotating conductor consistently with the speed rate of the driven shaft.

A still further obj ect of my invention is to provide a generally-i1nproved construction of timing device and improved means for securlng it to a support.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front eleva tion of my improved timing device associated with a diagram illustrating the manner of its electrical connections in an ignition system for gas-engines. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Throughout the drawin s like numerals of' u a 2: reference refer to like parts.

6 indicates a casing generally cylindrical l l x in form and having its front end open' and exteriorly screw-threaded, as indicated at (3".

7 indicates a glass face-plate covering the open end. of the casing 5 and positioned by an annular cap-rim 8, interiorly screwthreaded to engage the screw-thread 6 of the casing.

9 9 indicate ears projecting from the casing 5 and abutting against the rear face of a support 10, such as the dashboard of a motor vehicle or other suitable relatively thin sustaining member, which is suitably apertured to receive the casing 6. The rim 8 affords a corresponding abutment on the opposite side of the support and serves to retain the device in the support.

11 11 indicate bolts extending through the support and the ears 9 of the casing and. forming additional means for securing the timing device in. position. The rear or closed end of the casing 6 is provided with an extended boss or hub 12, designed to afford an extended bearing for the driven shaft of the device.

13 is the driven shaft engine-driven ently With the speed of the engine-sh aft.

1.4 indicates a sprocket-Wheel suitable to receive chain for connection to some engine: driven member.

15 indicates a circumferential groove cut connected with some into the shaft 13, near the extremity thereof within the casing 6.

17 indicates a sleeve splined or otherwise mounted to slide longitudinally upon s idv grooved extremity of the shaft 13 and at its rear end provided. with a grooved collar 17, preferably integral therewith. sleeve 17 is slotted, as indicated slot being arranged diagonally or relative to the axis of the sleeve in effect, a cam.

19 indicates generally the centrifugal governor device mountedupon the shaft 13 and connectedwith the slidable sleeve 17 to shift the same longitudinally of the shaft proportionally to the s read of the governor-levers.

In the specirie embodiment herein illustrated, 20 indicates a collar fixedl -mounted on the shaft 13 adjacent the closed rear end of the casing 6.

at 18, said at an angle to constitute,

2:1 21 indicate governor-levers, each at one end pivotally mounted in the collar 20 and j at its other end bearing a Weight 22.

23 23 indicate links, each at one end pivoted to the corresponding governor-lever 21 part, so that it rotates consiste.

The slidable and at its other end pivoted to an car 24, se-

cured to and prelerably l'ormed integral with the collar 1? ol' the sliding sleeve 17.

26 indicates a wearing-sltv ve surrounding the sleeve 17 in front ol the collar thereof and arranged for rotation relative to the sliding sleeve 17'.

27 indicates a cap of insulating material fitting over the sleeve 26 and. the suhjacent parts and projecting a suitable distance be' yond the shaft 13 toward the trout end ol the casing. 'lhe sleeve 26 and cap 27 term, in ell'ect, one member of the device and will he referred to together as an adjustable carrier.

28 indicates-a screw taking through the insulating-cap 27 and the wearirig-sleeve 26 to secure the same together and provided with an extended shank 138, which passes through the diagonal slot 18 in the slidablesleeve lT and engages in the groove 15 oi the shaft 13. It will be apparent now that as the shaft 125 is rotated the weighted governor-levers 21 are correspmidingly spread, and the connection oi said arms with the slidable sleeve 17 serves to Withdraw said sleeve axially rear ward vith reference to the shaft. The superposed adjustable carrier being held in longitudinally stationary relation to the shaft 13 by reason ol the engagement of the screw 28 with the circuinferential groove 15 oil the shaitjs turned circitml'erentially relative to the sleeve 17 in virtue of the engagement of the screw lit; with the cam-slot 18 of the said sleeve 17. The cam-slot 1h being straight, the circunil'erential movement of the adjustable carrier relative to a given point upon the sleeve 17 will be proportionate oi the degree ol' spread oi the governor levers it under the inlluence ol' centrifugal action.

in addition to the automatic means just described for ellecting a rotative adjustment of the insulating-cap .27 relativeto the shalt 13, l provide manually-operable means for ell'ecting the same adjustment.

BELindicates a lever extending through an aperture .30 in the side ol' the casing t) and pivoted, as at 31, adjacent the aperture 210. 'lhe end of the lever 2t) within the casing terminates in a fork I52. arranged to partially embrace and overlie the collar 17 ol'thc sleeve 17.

a.) 593 indicate pins carried by the l'orl-tarms and engaging in the groove ol the col lar l7.

no exterior cud ol the lever may be brought into position suitable lor manual opc'ation, or, as herein illustrated, may he provided \vitha connect ion 3t vxtending to a position conveniently accessible for opera that It will be. apparent that movement of the lever lit in virtue ol' its engagement in the grooved collar 17 ol' the sleeve 17 will serve. to actuate the slotted slidablesleevc 27 7 to rotarily adjust the cap 27 ot' the device Associated with the lever 2.) I provide an adjustable spring/adapted to resist the movement of the: sleeve 17 from its normal positron.

indicates an oll'set portion of the casing (5, preferably integral therewith and adapted when titted in a prtiperly-shaped aperture in the support to to hold the casing against rotation relative to said support. The oll'set portion 35 is provided with a bore 1 36, extending therethrough and screwthreaded at its upper end.

38 indicates an adjusting-screw threaded into the threaded end ol' the bore so so as to be accessible from the front of the device.

39 indicates a helical spring arranged within the bore 216, at one end abutting against the adjusting-screw 3h and at its other end bearing on the lever 29. The s ring 32) operates to normally hold the ment and resists the cll'orts ol' the governor device to move said sleeve rearwardly along the shalt 13. The tensi n of the spring 39 may bereadily contro 'ed at any time hy adjustment ol' the S('['t".\ 35, so that the speed ol rotation at which the governor will act upon the sleeve 17 to advance the adjustable carrier may be varied at will without interfering with the action of the device. The front area of the interior casing ti is thoroughly insulated, as by an insulatiug-cyliuder to, vulcanized or otherwise properly secured to the interior ol' the casing. Spaced evenly around the interior of the cylinder -10 are arranged terminal plates 41"l1", etc, equal in number to the number of cylinders of the engine with which the timing device is to be employed and each provided with a terminal clampingscrew 1-1. The wires employed in connecting the device with exterior electric circuits are all led in through suitable insulating-coverings 42, so that to the exterior of the device no uninsulating portions of any of the electric conductors are presented.

43 indicates a rotating conductor mounted in the insulating-cap 27 and arranged during the rotation of said cap to sweep past theterthereto but not in contact therewith. The rotary conductor and the terminal p'aies lorin circuit-controlling devices for th arious exterior circuits. The condor 3 3 may be secured in the cap 27 in any suit zf le way, as by means of the nuts -t-t. 'lo provide means for including the conductor 43 in an electric circuit, a connection 4.") is employed. comprising a conductive rod or wire at its outer end secured to the insulatingc vlinder and at its inner end bent sharply inward and having a point 45. penetrating the cap .27 and connecting with the rotating conductor 43 at the axis of rotation thereol'. l The terminal plates 41 41.", &c., and the roseeve 17 at its l'orward position of moveminal plates 4] 41", &c., in close proximity I15 scent/c L7 tating conductor 43 are arranged to be included in the secondary circuit of the system, as will be hereinafter more fully described. Means are provided in the timing device for varying the time of closing the primary circuit (to be hereinafter more fully described) synchronously with the establishment of operative spark-producing conditions in the secondary circuit.

in the construction herein shown, 4-7 indicates a cam mounted upon the wearing-sleeve 26 for movementtherewith and provided with a series of teeth 48 equal in number to the contact-plates-l. 41*, &c., and equally spaced about the periphery of the cam.

49 indicates a contact-spring mounted on the inner periphery of the insulating-cylinder 40 and extending over the path of rotation of the camel substantially tangentiallythereto.

50 indicates a block having an inclined face mounted on the spring 49 and arranged in the path of movem'ent ofthe teeth 48 of the cam for coaction therewith.

51 indicates a contact-pin projecting through the casing 6 and arranged to forma contact-stop for the end of the spring-49.

The-exterior end of the pin 51 is screw threaded for adjustment re ative to the easing, and suitable nuts 52 are provided. to secure the pin in proper adjustment. The pin is so adjusted that its free end is slightly separated from the end of the spring 49.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I will describe the connections of my device in an ignition system as therein diagrammatically illustrated.

A, B, C, and 1) indicate the cylinders of a four-cylinder gas-engine, each of said cylinders being provided with a jump-spark igniter of any preferred construction, one point whereof is grounded in the engine-frame and the other point of which is insulated. The insulated points of the igniters of engines A, B, C, and D are connected by-wires 54 54*, &c., with the terminal plates 41 41*, &c., respectively. A wire 55 connects the frame of the engine with the conductor 45 and includes the secondary winding .s' of inductioncoil in its path.

56 indicates a battery,(for which any other suitable source of electric power may be substituted,) one terminal of which is connected by wire 57 with the contact-post 51 of the timing device. The other terminal of the battery is connected. by wire 58 with a switch 59, whence extends a wire 6!), connectcd at its other end to the ctritact-spring 49 and including therein the prin'iary p of the induction-coil. The circuit including the primary of the induction-coil I will refer to as the primary circuit, and the circuit including the sparking secondary winding of the coil i will refer to as the secondary circuit. The general operation of my device in the ignition sv tern will be as follows: The

switch 5!) being thrown to closed position,

the primary circuit is made dependent for its opening or closing upon the contact of the spring 49 and the ost 51. The engine being set in motion in tie usual way, the shaft 14 of the timing device through its connection (not shown) with the engine is rotated consistently with. the speed of rotation of the engine-shaft, and the mechanism carried by the shaft 13 is rotated accordingly. As the teeth of the cam 47 successively pass beneath the block 50 upon the spring 49, the spring is elevated and suddenly released, causing it to vibrate and make a series of momentary contacts with the post 51, closing the primary circuit during each contact. The parts are so positioned that actuation of the spring 49 by the cam occurs during the period of time when the rotating conductor 43 is in radial alinement with. one of the plates 41 41 850., so that the current impulses occasioned in the primary circuit by the action of the spring 49 induce impulses in the secondary circuit and cause sparks to jump the gap between the igniter-tern'iinals of'one of the engines and between the corresponding terminal plate within the timing device and the rotating conductor 43. As the rotative speed of the engine-shaft increases the proportionate increase of speed of the shaft 13 of the timing device causes the governor-levers 21 to fly out to more spread position,

thereby effecting the withdrawal of the slotted sleeve 17 relative to the wearing-sleeve 26 of the adjustable carrier, as hereinbefore described, and rotatively adjusting said carrier in a forward direction. tonsequ'ently IOC both the cam 47 and the rotating conductor 43 are advanced. relative to their initial positions, establishing their operative condition earlier in the engine-cycle than initially, or, in other words, advancing'the lead of the spark. The beneficial effect of thus varying the lead of the spark to suit the engine-speed conditions are too well known to need discussion.

While 1 have herein described minutely the construction which I deem most advan tageous, it will be apparent that slight departures may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my inventioi'i, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent of the United States, is-- l. in a device of the character described, the combination with acasing of a driven shaft. extending tl'iercinto, circuit-controlling devices within the casing including a rotat ing conductor, a rotatively-a'iiustable carrier for said conductor mounted on the shaft, a governor, associated with the shaft, means for adjustively rotating the carrier, controlled by the governor, a pring arranged to resist the action of the governor, and means disposed relative to the casing to be accessithe eombinntion with :1 e1

adjusting the "arrier actuated h the go"=;-'

ernor, and ininnially-o 'ierahie menus for 2rdjust ing said earrier extending to the exterior oi" the casing.

3. in n device of the eharneter described, an acuniting-shalt, eireuit-controlling devices eomprising a rotatable eondnetor. longitudinall \"slidal le sleeve on the shaft, E oonucetion bruween said sleeve and the condnetor whereby longitudinal movement; oi the sleeve positively etiects the rotary ndjustnient oi the eonduetor relative to the shaft, a governor mounted on said shzrit, and eonneeted. with the sleeve to longitudinally move the same, and a me;inallv-operahle means for moving said sleeve indepeiuhmti ot the governor.

--t. in a device of the eheraetier a casing, a shaft to be driven mount in, eireuitwontrolliug devices Within deecri bed d (l1 rethe cusingincluding a rotating, eonduetm, a KUltctively-adjustable earrier for aid conductor, a ecutlrit ugal governor operamvely .)cini"i'd with llllP shaft, mear arranged to be nctuated by the governor for adjusting the arrier, a lever extending to the exterior oi' the casing, a eonneetion between said lever and the carrier, adjusting me ins whereby the carrier may be manunll adjusted, a spring rarranged lo bear upon the said lever to resist the adjusting nnivement ot' the arrier. and means aeees ible from the exterior oi the devii-e to! adjusting the tension oi the spring.

I). in a device oi the eharacter described. the condiinatiou will a. easing; oi a eireiuu- I'erentiaily grooved shaft; extending thereinto. a sleeve slidably mounted on the shaft and provided with a. cam-slot therein, a eonduetor- -arrier mounted on, the slid le sleeve. a pin seeured to the earriei' and ed in" through. the earn-slot into the groove d il shaft, rotzitive eomluetor carried by the carrier, concting (lICUlL members arranged 'ithi'n the raising, and nu-ans for sliding the sleeve longitiulinall ol' the shaft whereby tho mmm eonduetor is rotatiivel adjusted.

6. in a deviee ot the charaeter described, a- :cdnrlt to be driven. circuit-eontrolling devices inelnding a rotating eonductor, av va-rrier for said crnidiu-txor rot ai'ivel :idjustnble on the shaft, a cam device associated With the o: rrier For adjusting the latter, an antomath: governor operntivel associated with the sheift, and a inanually-o 'ieable device. said gowirnor and inxinually-operable device being both opei'a'tvively associated with the cam device to actuate the latter.

7. in a. deviee ot the character described, ii shaft to be driven, eircuit-eont rolling de vices including a rotating eonductor. a rotz1- ti'a'illV-lliljllsiflblfi carrier for said conductor, a movable sleeve having a (nan-slot and pin engagement with said carrier for adjusting the latter. a centrifugal governor operntix el f associated with the shaft and u manually-ow emble (lUVlt'it, said governor and manuallyoperable deviee being operatively associated with the HIOVtlbli. sleeve to actuate the same.

1 ln a. device of the chnrneterdescribed,

:i. msing having an oilset portion providel with mi aperture therethrougli, n rotatable shaft proj *eting into the insing, eireuit-eonrolling deviees within the easing including :1 rotetahle conductor, 21 rotvntively-adjustable carrier for said conductor, msans for adjust ing the earrier including a sliding sleeve, :1 ever assoeinted with said sliding sleeve exthe exterior of the casing, and arir-inding to ed for manual operation, a spring 2U.-

ed in the recess of the oilset nortlion of easing, tending to hold. said lever normally in one position, and a centrifugal governor carried by the shaft arranged when in operation to oppose the notion of said spring n W the lever.

in testimony that. I claim the foregoing as our own I atli): my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

YINCENI G. APPLE. in presence of l -znu zn Bins, ll. Kl. immirn. 

